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(if you don't already receive a monthly announcement that our Cyprus newsletter has been published, you can sign up to our list here) In
This Months Issue You'll Find: A Message from Jackie for Christmas (and a small note from Kim) Christmas 2009 Reader’s Experience: How deciding to leave the UK worked for them Christmas Special – 25% off any of our Property Buying Guides Are you protecting your assets in Cyprus? What is FSA Regulation and how can it benefit you? Ban on Smoking from 1st January 2010 Hello there – it’s me: Jackie! "Hello – just a little note from me (it’s Kim)! Everything is going great…I had my 20-week scan and I’m proud to announce that I’m having a little baby girl! Oh-my-gosh – I’m so excited. The due date is May 5th, so I have quite a bit of time now. Over the weekend I went to Mothercare for the first time and found some jeans and larger bra’s. I can’t believe how much my body is changing – it really is an experience. Anyway – I wish you the absolute BEST Christmas and a happy New Years celebration. Let’s all make 2010 even better than 2009 has been. Sincere smiles and kindest regards ever, Kim" Kind regards, Jackie and Kim Cyprus Buying Guide
A Traditional Christmas in Cyprus Forget Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – when it comes to Christmas in Cyprus, it’s still relatively uncommercialised compared to other European countries. But Cypriots still celebrate in their own way. Unlike the UK, where Christmas is advertised very early, nothing much happens in Cyprus until November. I couldn’t believe it this year, when I saw the first Christmas advert on British TV in August. We were In fact, Christmas in Cyprus actually starts officially on the first Friday in December. When you think about the weather we have, it’s not surprising. It’s quite hard to get into a Christmas mood when it’s still hot and the sun is shining – in fact, you don’t even want to think about it until the last minute. Cypriots do buy Christmas presents and children are very spoilt. It’s easy to see why, when the shops are crammed full of toys. And it probably has something to do with the fact that they often give presents twice – more about that later. Oh, and here, you don’t have to buy batteries for toys (the main supermarkets give them away for free) and you don’t even have to wrap your presents yourself. All you do is take them to customer services, choose the wrapping paper (which is also free) and they do the rest. I can’t imagine that ever happening in the UK. Cypriot ladies bake a lot, particularly at Christmas and Easter. They are excellent cooks – if my neighbours are anything to go by! Their Christmas cakes are very different to ours, although they look quite similar. They’re made with seasonal fruit preserved in sugar syrup, lots of different local nuts and orange flower water. It’s true to say they are sickly sweet. The thick coat of marzipan that decorates the top of the cake is nearly always home-made. That used to be how they finished their cakes, but not now. In the last few years fondant and royal icing has been available in Cyprus, so now, cakes look like those in the UK. Christmas here is a time for visiting friends and family. Housewives are kept busy making huge quantities of biscuits for these occasions. There are different types. Kourambiades are small, shortbread biscuits, filled with roasted almonds and dusted with a thick coat of icing sugar. Melamakarona are gorgeous honey biscuits and daktyla, which are known as “ladies fingers”, are pastry fingers filled with almond and cinnamon and drenched in syrup. It’s all very fattening - so forget diets until the New Year! Turkey is popular, but the favourite Cypriot Christmas meat is pork. It’s traditional to make hiromeni, which is a leg of pork soaked in wine for several days. After its finished soaking, then comes the pressing, under heavy stones. Then the family fire is lit, and it’s left hanging to smoke. The final touch is flavouring it with fresh coriander. I’ve never tried it, but it sounds delicious. Gammon is very popular in the UK. Here, the most popular smoked ham is called lountza, which is now available all year round. There are many different types. It has a wonderful taste. Well, with all the food and presents ready, it’s time to move on to Christmas Eve. There are many candlelit church services, and children go carol singing together. A fairly new addition to traditional Cypriot celebrations is decorating a Christmas tree. And with the amount on sale now and the number of decorations and lights, it’s clear to see it’s become very popular. Although Santa Claus is destined to arrive in Cyprus on Christmas Eve to visit all the children, traditionally, he doesn’t come. Instead, Ayios Vassilis, St Basil, arrives on New Year’s Eve. This means a lot of children in Cyprus get presents twice over the Christmas period, once on Christmas Eve (adopting other traditions) and again on News Year’s Eve! Then there are the menaces. These are mischievous little pixies, which mysteriously arrive in Cyprus on Christmas Eve. They play tricks and cause havoc to everyone for the twelve days of Christmas. Tradition says they are the souls of unbaptised babies, but how true this is no-one really knows. To stop these naughty pixies, (known as kalikantzari) housewives hang olive branches blessed by the village church outside their doors to keep them away. But, should they appear, apparently if you show them a piece of red thread they vanish pretty quickly! Christmas Day traditionally begins with a church service and everyone wishes each other kala chritouyenna – Merry Christmas. Then just like the UK, celebrations continue at home with their families. So – isn’t it time you spent your Christmas in Cyprus? Give the OGC Resources Centre a ring on 0207 898 0549 for any help you may need in buying a property, or fill out the property form on: http://www.CyprusBuyingGuide.com/requirementsform.htmReader’s Experience: How deciding to leave the UK worked for them
This month I have included this excellent ‘Reader’s Experience’. I feel it could apply to anyone, moving to any country. Not only does it demonstrate how dreams can come true, it also shows how the help of a currency exchange specialist was able to save Trevor and Sue a lot of money. This is well worth a read… A number of reasons influenced Trevor and Sue’s decision to move to Spain, where they have both spent some time in the past. Trevor takes up the story: “Sue had lived in Spain for four years before having to return to the UK to deal with family problems. While in Spain she felt vibrant, healthy and full of life. The weather was never as dull and grey as here in England, even at its worst! The winters were cold but without that 'clinging' damp associated with this country. For those of us with joint problems who get a little 'down' as a result, the climate in Spain has an almost miraculous effect!” enthuses Trevor. Sue had spent about a year in a typically Spanish town where she was the only English speaker. “You might think that the Spanish people would have 'talked slowly and loudly' to Sue and me as we attempted to learn their language, but the opposite was true!” grins Trevor; “They were very friendly and patient with our attempts at Spanish and helped us learn. I don’t think that too many people in this country would be bothered to take that much time or effort.” Trevor adds that he is horrified how many Brits come to Spain and make no effort at all to fit in at all: “This is their country after all - it’s the least we can do. “Families are the most important aspect of their lives to the Spanish people” Trevor continues. “They 'work to live', unlike this country where we are inclined to 'live to work'! Provided there is enough food on the table and the bills are paid, the Spanish are very contented people, hence their mañana attitude!” They have decided to relocate to the Almeria area. It takes its name from its capital city, which lies on the southern coast of the province. The area would have remained unknown if it hadn't been for the film companies who discovered that the area offered ideal film sets for films such as Lawrence of Arabia and Patton. Driving through the area one sees what looks like towns but, on looking back, turn out to be film sets! Trevor and Sue found that, as the credit crunch took its toll, they were forced to adjust their expectations. They have decided to keep their home in the UK until the property market improves. “This isn’t the time to be selling in the UK” Trevor comments sadly. “We will be renting a home in Spain and letting out our house here in the UK for the time being.” Moving funds across to Spain became the next priority. By his own admission something of an ‘internet fiend’, it was while doing a bit of research that he came upon a currency company, Smart Currency Exchange. “Believe me, I left no stone unturned and compared them all” laughs Trevor. “I found that some sites were very vague, but this one appeared to have the ‘openness’ and clarity that I required: “I had a good read on their website and so understood how it all worked. Then I had a good chat about how a currency company can help. They were quick to emphasise how a forward contract can help in cases like mine.” Smart Currency explained that this meant deciding to buy his currency at the current rate in case sterling worsened against the euro, only paying a small percentage upfront to assure him of this rate. At first Trevor was sceptical about locking his currency into a rate in case the euro picked up against sterling and he was stuck with a lower rate. “They explained to me that saving on interest rates will help negate any losses and I would be in a far better position should the market move against me…I liked the idea.” He particularly liked the fact that everything was explained upfront in a realistic and open way – not something he had found with all the people he approached Trevor and Sue are proof that, if you want it enough, moving countries is possible. “I will be working in Spain and earning a living there” says Trevor. “Fairy tales do come true,” he adds “it’s just a matter of taking a decision and then making it happen. I cannot wait for the time when Sue and I are back where we long to be”. This is what Mike had to say about his experience with Smart: Dear Mr Purdy, I have just transferred a large amount of money using your service, and I would like to thank all the staff who helped me not only get a rate that was better than 3 other companies I rang, but also on the service, helpfulness and general smoothness of the transaction. The other item to note was the speed with which the transaction happened, which compared to other companies I have used was extremely fast (in fact the word breathtaking springs to mind). Please thank all your staff who took such time and trouble to deal with this on my behalf. One again thanks Mike To get an update on the Euro exchange rate, request a quote at:
Who is Oliver Spencer and why should you care?
Oliver – or Oli as we all call him – is the Client Services Executive for The Overseas Guides Company (the OGC) and has a somewhat dark, mysterious and handsome way about him. He comes across serious and bit quiet yet when he speaks Oli always has something valuable to say. In a world where everyone wants to talk, Oli is one to practice the art of listening and then responding in a way that makes you feel like he really cares. Perhaps his excellent ability to listen and add value come from his degree in Communication Studies from the University of Leeds?! Oli started his working life at an Events Company at university – when pressed he admitted that he loved music and that the company wasn’t so much of a ‘job’ but a real pleasure (I hope he feels the same about the OGC!). He is also a keen sportsman and counts among his talents rugby (played at county level), skiing and snowboarding (in France) and watersports… Somewhat appropriately for a sport’s fanatic, Oli went from his job during university into the ‘real’ world of Sales and Marketing at Red Bull, the energy drink company. So now we’ve established that he has both energy and communication skills – a winning combination to help OGC readers to fulfil their dreams! When asked what he liked best about his job, Oli’s reply was immediate: “I love talking to people about their hopes and ambitions to buy property abroad. I have travelled a fair amount myself and can really identify with wanting to have a home overseas, whether for holidays or indeed to live in permanently.” Oli added, “the other day, when talking to a reader, they described me as a potential life saver for the information I had provided: no amount of energy drink can give you the ‘high’ that that kind of comment does – it’s really exciting to know that we help people on a daily basis”. Oli also enjoys the team that he works with – and it shows in his friendly and helpful attitude to both colleagues and OGC readers alike.
Christmas Special – 25% off any of our Property Buying Guides Hey – remember that we offered you a very special price on the Property Buying Guides last month? This is just to remind you that the offer ends on 24th December, so there is still time to get your copy, either for yourself or for friends that may be thinking of buying abroad.
Are you protecting your assets in Cyprus? In the excitement of Christmas holidays, don’t be tempted to neglect the really important stuff! It is vital that you, as the current or future owner of a holiday home overseas, fully understand the extent and limitations of your insurance policy. Do you have the cover for legal liability for domestic staff (cleaners, gardeners etc)? Are you covered for floods, earthquakes and so on? What restrictions are in place in letting or if the property is unoccupied? If you place your overseas property cover through an insurance company abroad it is more than likely that you simply won’t know the answers to these and other really important aspects of your policy. The answer is to insure with a specialist in second home and overseas property insurance right here in the UK. Intasure will offer you the reassurance of English language documents and UK back-office service and support: a plain English property insurance policy underwritten by some of the world's leading insurers and administered in the UK via helpful and knowledgeable staff. FSA now regulates currency exchange companies One of my top recommendations to readers is the use of a currency exchange specialist. I explain that by using a specialist, overseas property buyers can sometimes save up to £4000 on every £100,000 transferred. In the past readers expressed concern about the safety of using an unknown company – and rightly so! Well, now I am pleased to report that a new Payment Services Regulation (PSR) has come into effect that has had an impact on many financial institutions. You may have noticed your bank sending you updated terms and conditions - this is the reason why! The new regulations apply to banks and also non-banking payment service providers such as currency exchange companies. From now on most currency exchange companies will be regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) under the new Payment Services Regulations 2009. The regulations cover the safeguarding of clients funds and payments made by the currency companies. If you are dealing with a good currency company, such as Smart Currency Exchange, you may not notice any difference when undertaking a transaction as they may already meet or exceed the new standards that have been set by the FSA. However, the new regulation will bring peace of mind and a greater feeling of security, providing of course that you make sure that you only work with currency specialists that are regulated. Smart also offers an exceptional free report… If you haven't yet collected your FREE report from Smart on "Why Overseas Property Buyers Lose Money... and how YOU can avoid it" get it here! Ban on Smoking from 1st January 2010 Remember that, in accordance with the European Union’s bid to ban smoking in public places, Cyprus has to finally fall in line with effect from 1st January 2010. The EU plans to ban smoking in enclosed public places across all its 27-member states by 2012. In 2002, Cyprus legislation stated there was to be a smoking ban but it wasn’t strictly enforced – now there is no choice. The warning has been delivered early in order for restaurants and other establishments to make preparations to abide by the law. Those choosing to disobey the law will be fined up to €2,000. So what do people think? Well, opinion polls show that the majority of Cypriots welcome smoke-free zones. However, bar and club owners say their businesses will suffer. It will be interesting to see what happens. A local Cypriot I spoke to said, “It will take at least 6 months after 1st January 2010 for the ban to be effective, as nothing happens quickly in Cyprus!” I hope the New Year will be a good one for you. I am here at any time if you need my help just email me or pick up the phone and call 0207 898 0549 and the Resource Centre will happily assist you. Have a wonderful Christmas and a successful new year! Bye for now. Jackie (and not forgetting Kim!) Cyprus Buying Guide (if you don't already receive a monthly announcement that our Cyprus newsletter has been published, you can sign up to our list here)
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absolutely sweltering in temperatures of 40 degrees and it was the last thing on my mind.
